Undeniable facts about Jeff Torborg

[Guest AG/DC]

Managed four teams, five if you count Florida and Montreal seperately, but only one with a winning record.

Had a son who was his trainer, and wrestled under the name "The Demon," in Gene Simmons-trademark makeup.
Gave up the ship with Florida in fourth place at 16-22 in 2003, only to see them led to a championship by his successor.

In an otherwise forgettable playing career, he caught three no-hitters, each by a guy who would at one time or another be on the Met payroll: Sandy Koufax, Bill Singer, and Nolan Ryan.

Said "Wait until you see Bill Pecota."

[seawolf17]

Why now? Is he dead?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I remember, during his post-managing days, he was in the broadcast booth during a game I was watching, and he said, "I have a grandson who's a pig."
And he didn't mean a slob; he meant the four-legged kind of pig with a curly tail.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Took No. 10 from Dave Magadan when named manager.

[soupcan]

Wore big ugly glasses and was on the cover of the '92 yearbook which was voted 'Yearbook With Largest Number of Douchebag Mets on Cover'

[stevejrogers]

Hope you aren't putting Eddie Murray on the douchebag list with Sabes, Bobby Bo and Torborg.

[Willets Point]

I always thought Torborgasm would be a funny handle for the Mofo.

[Guest AG/DC]

While working as a Braves broadcaster in the nineties, he inspired a fan club to dub themselves "Torborg South."

[metirish]

I remember his stint on FOX as a color commentator , I remember not liking him.

Torborg was the 1990 AL Manager of the Year with the White Sox.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Went out of his way to acquire his beloved Dick Schofield. Gave Schofield almost 500 PA's. Confiscated Mag's #10

[Guest AG/DC]

Dick Schofield was his beloved? That's a fact? Do dish!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Willets Point wrote: I always thought Torborgasm would be a funny handle for the Mofo.

It's not too late for that to be funny here. Chage that ID!

[batmagadanleadoff]

AG/DC wrote: Dick Schofield was his beloved? That's a fact? Do dish!

Torborg loved that guy. In a platonic baseball sort of way. Like the way Wilpon loved Ordonez.

[Guest AG/DC]

Yeah,maybe, but we're definitely spilliing out of the "undeniable facts" territory.

[soupcan]

SteveJRogers wrote: Hope you aren't putting Eddie Murray on the douchebag list with Sabes, Bobby Bo and Torborg.

Oh yes I am.

Surly bastard.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Worst Team Money Could Buy.

[Guest Grote15]

Was Rutgers first baseball All American & caught a Koofoo no hitter

[batmagadanleadoff]

soupcan wrote: ... the cover of the '92 yearbook which was voted ...

1992 Yearbook. 1991 uniforms. (No William Shea commemorative "S" patch).

[Frayed Knot]

Ownership was so anxious to portray him as the father-like figure of the newer family-friendly Mets (following the bleach & firecracker years) that he was set up with a daily chat on WFAN rather than the once-a-week shows most mgrs have had since.
He was on that station so often that Lupica took to calling him 'Jeff from Flushing'



McKeon's run to the World Series after taking over from Torborg in Florida was helped A LOT by the fact that they brought up Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis right around the time of the switch.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: ="soupcan"]... the cover of the '92 yearbook which was voted ... 1992 Yearbook. 1991 uniforms. (No William Shea commemorative "S" patch).

And nice uniforms, too -- the racing stripes AND buttons down the front.

The dreaded "wardrobe of failure" as dubbed by Metstradamus would follow.

[HahnSolo]

Liked to say his teams "hit the dickens out of the ball."

[G-Fafif]

He did Davis Optical ads on Diamondvision. In early 1993, I saw it and I started booing loudly. Others picked up on it. Two weeks later he was fired.

Hands down my least favorite manager.

[Farmer Ted]

The Mrs. and I were on the Diamond Club elevator with him a few years back. He was in his Expos uniform and it appeared going to one of the broadcast booths for a pre-game interview. I was encouraged NOT to urinate on him. God, I wanted to piss on his blue, smurf cleats sooo bad.

[stevejrogers]

="Frayed Knot"]Ownership was so anxious to portray him as the father-like figure of the newer family-friendly Mets (following the bleach & firecracker years)that he was set up with a daily chat on WFAN rather than the once-a-week shows most mgrs have had since. He was on that station so often that Lupica took to calling him 'Jeff from Flushing'

Actually the bleach and firecracker incidents happened after Torborg was fired on May 19th, 1993. Both happened in July of 1993.

From the New York Times, 8/11/1993

]In a statement released by the Mets yesterday, Bret Saberhagen admitted responsibility for the July 27 bleach-spraying incident in the Shea Stadium clubhouse. The pitcher agreed to make amends for his actions and offered a formal apology both for his behavior that night and for his failure to acknowledge his role at an earlier date... Vince Coleman will be arraigned today in Los Angeles on a felony charge of igniting an explosive outside Dodger Stadium on July 25. And Saberhagen had previously admitted to tossing fireworks at a group of reporters in the locker room.

[Guest Herb Gardner]

="soupcan"]Wore big ugly glasses and was on the cover of the '92 yearbook which was voted 'Yearbook With Largest Number of Douchebag Mets on Cover'

Yeah but those glasses were spring loaded, remember

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Herrrrb

[Guest Herb Gardner]

Duuude....

[Guest Kong76]

Uhhhh ...

[stevejrogers]

soupcan wrote: ="SteveJRogers"]Hope you aren't putting Eddie Murray on the douchebag list with Sabes, Bobby Bo and Torborg. Oh yes I am. Surly bastard.

Great teammate though. And once he felt comfortable with a writer that they weren't going to do what that guy in Baltimore early on did, he really would be a great introspective guy to talk to.

[batmagadanleadoff]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: ="batmagadanleadoff"] ="soupcan"]... the cover of the '92 yearbook which was voted ... 1992 Yearbook. 1991 uniforms. (No William Shea commemorative "S" patch). And nice uniforms, too -- the racing stripes AND buttons down the front.

Those front buttons were a huge improvement to the racing stripes. The pullovers were over.